Stop motion for textile fiber drafting machine



Sept. 13, 1966 J. R. WHITEHURST STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE FIBER DRAFTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 1963 p 13, 1956 J. R. WHITEHURST 3,271,823

TING MACHINE STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE FIBER DRAF 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1963 INVENTOR. Joe R. WHHEHURST ATTORNEYS Sept. 13, 1966 J. R. WHITEHURST 3,

STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE FIBER DRAFTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 29, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORZ OE E. WH\TEHURST ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,271,823 STOP MOTION FOR TEXTHLE FIBER DRAFTlLNG MACHWE Joe R. 'Whitehurst, Bessemer City, N.C., assignor to Ideal industries, lnc., Bessemer City, NAIL, a corporation of North Carolina Filed Nov. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 326,780 9 Claims. (Cl. 19-.25)

This invention relates to a stop motion for textile fiber drafting machines of the type in which a strand of textile fibers, such as a sliver, is passed through a plurality of drafting instrumentalities, such as the drafting rolls of drawing frames, fly frames, roving frames, spinning frames and the like. While the present stop motion is particularly adapted for use with a drawing frame, it is to be understood that it could also be used with other types of textile fiber processing machines.

Generally, the stop motion of the present invention includes a detector that is positioned beneath the normal path of travel of the strands of textile fibers as they are moved and guided along a predetermined path into the drafting rolls of the drawing frame. If any one of the strands breaks or when the strand supply is exhausted, the strand will fall down below its normal path of travel and the strand will engage the detector and immediately stop rotation of the drafting rolls.

In one presently available type of drawing frame, the stop motion includes a plurality of levers which have spoon-shaped knock-off guides at their upper ends. These spoon-shaped guides are positioned in engagement with the individual strands of textile fibers prior to their entrance into the drafting rolls. When a strand breaks or is exhausted, the corresponding spoon-shaped guide will raise up and the lower end of the lever will move to actuate the stop motion and stop rotation of the drafting rolls. It has been found that many times the spoon-shaped knock-off guides cause the strand to break since they tension and exert an upward pressure against the strands of fibrous material. These spoon-shaped knock-off guides also become more objectionable when the speed of the drawing frame is increased because they create increased frictional drag as static electricity is built up in the guides.

Other types of drawing frames are provided with a stop motion which includes a common driven roll that the strands pass over as they enter the drafting rolls. Individual floating rollers engage and hold the strands in engagement with the common driven roll. The floating rollers act as detectors and when a strand is not present between the common driven ro-ll and the floating rolls, an electrical circuit is completed to actuate the stop motion and immediately stop rotation of the drafting rolls. This type of drawing frame stop motion is objectionable because the floating upper rollers flatten out the strand of textile fibers and they are positioned so close to the rear drafting roll that the end of the strand usually is passed into the drafting zone before the drafting rolls are stopped, making it difficult to piece-up the broken strand. Also, the rolls of this type ofstop motion may become covered with fibers so that they cannot then function to stop the drawing frame.

With the foregoing in mind, it is one of the main 'objects of the present invention to provide an improved stop motion that is particularly adapted for use with drawing frames and includes a detector element that is positioned below and normally out of engagement with the strands of textile fibers as they are moved toward the drafting rolls so that the detector has no adverse effect on the strands.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stop motion of the type described which may be 3,271,823 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 easily applied to existing drawing frames and which may either supplement or replace the conventional spoonshaped knock-off guide or floating roller-type stop motions.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a stop motion of the type described wherein the detector element is in the form of an elongated pliable strand member that is positioned transversely beneath a plurality of the moving strands as they are advanced toward the drafting rolls, the opposite ends of the pliable detector being supported on movable elements which are movable in response to a force being applied to the pliable member by one or more of the strands dropping down into engagement with the pliable member, and wherein switch means is operatively connected to the movable elements and operable in response to movement thereof to stop the drafting rolls when a force is applied .to the pliable detector member.

It is another specific object of the present invention to provide a stop motion of the type described for a drawing frame of the type which is provided with a strand separator plate or guide that is spaced rearwardly of the rearmost drafting rolls and wherein the stop motion includes a pair of tandemly arranged detector elements, one of the detector elements being positioned between the strand separator guide and the rearmost drafting rolls and the other detector element being positioned between the strand separator guide and the supply source at a point closely adjacent the strand separator guide, said one detector element being engaged when a break occurs in the strand between the separator plate and the drafting rolls, and said other detector element being engaged when a break occurs in the strand prior to the separator plate or when the tail end of an exhausted strand approaches the separator plate.

It is still another specific object of the present invention to provide a stop motion of the type described for a drawing frame of the type which is provided with an apron extending rearwardly and below the nip of the drafting rolls wherein the switch means includes an enclosed switch that is protected from lint and the like, wherein the enclosed switch is supported beneath the apron to further protect the same against damage, and wherein the apron is provided with at least one opening through which the medial portion of the movable detector element support passes, one end of the detector element being connected to one end of the movable detector element support and the other end of the movable detector element support being pivotally connected to the housing of the enclosed switch.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a drawing frame and showing the forward portion of a sliver supply creel supported thereon, with the stop motion of the present invention applied to the drawing frame;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 and illustrating, in dotted lines, the manner in which one detector element is engaged by a broken strand;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to the right-hand portion of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the manner in which the other detector element is engaged by a broken strand;

FIGURE 4 is a somewhat schematic diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the present stop motion is connected to the electrical circuit of the drawing frame; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the switches that are operated in response to a force 3 being applied to the detector elements, and illustrating the manner in which one end of the pliable detector element is connected to the end of the movable support arm.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, the drawing frame includes end frame members and 11 which are bridged adjacent their upper ends by a main frame channel member 13 and a main platform or spectacle plate 14 that is suitably secured to the lower surface of the channel member 13 (FIGURES 2 and 3). In the present instance, the drawing frame includes two conventional sections of identical drafting instrumentalities which are positioned in :side-by-side relationship.

The drafting instrumentalities are in the form of a series of upper or top drafting rolls 15 and a corresponding series of lower or bottom drafting rolls 16 (FIG- URES 2 and 3). As is well known, the successive sets of drafting rolls 15, 16 are driven at progressively increasing speeds for attenuating and drafting the groups of strands of textile fibers S as they are passed therebetween.

Although there are only four sets of upper and lower drafting rolls shown, it is to be understood that this number may be varied as desired and also the spacing therebetween may be varied.

The sets of drafting rolls 15, 16 are journaled in suitable bearing blocks 26 which are carried on the upper portions of roll stands 22. The roll stands 22 are spaced along the channel member 13 and their lower ends are suitably connected thereto. The forward portions of the roll stands 22 hingedly support a cover plate 25 which is normally positioned over the calender rolls and tube gears, not shown, as well as over coilers 26 (FIGURE 1), which are driven in a conventional manner. As the drafted slivers or strands S of each drafting section leave the forwardmost set of drafting rolls 15, 16, they are guided together through a tube guide 27 and then through a trumpet 28 where they pass through the conventional coilers 26 and into the coiler cans, not shown, which are positioned beneath the coilers 26 for rotation in a conventional manner.

The drafting rolls 15, 16 and the coiler head mechanism is driven by means of gears, not shown, which are supported in a gear housing 32. One end of a drive shaft 33 extends into the gear housing 32 and its other end has a pulley 34 suitably connected thereto. The pulley 34 is engaged by a drive belt 35 which is drivingly engaged by a motor drive pulley 36 (FIGURE 1). The motor drive pulley 36 is connected to one side of a suitable electromagnetic type clutch broadly indicated at 40. The electromagnetic clutch 40 may be one of several different types that are commercially available, such as one manufactured by Stearns Electric Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under their No. 5.5 SMR, and as illustrated in their drawing No. C3105J, dated May 17, 1961. The other side of the electromagnetic clutch 40 is connected to the drive shaft of an electric motor 41 so that driving rotation of the drafting rolls 15, 16 and the coiler head mechanism may be electrically controlled by means of the stop motion, to be presently described.

As the strands S are drawn toward the drafting rolls 15, 16, they pass above a shield plate or apron 42 which is suitably supported at its forward edge on the roll stands 22 and its re-armost edge is turned down to provide a vertically extending portion 42a (FIGURES 2 and 3). The lower portion of an upstanding strand separator plate 43 is suitably secured to the vertical portion 42a of the apron 42 and its upper portion is provided with strand guiding slots which maintain the strands S separate from each other as they are guided above the apron 42 (FIG- URES 1 and 4).

The conventional drawing frame of the type shown in the drawings is usually provided with a plurality of knockoff levers that are supported for pivotal movement in a medial portion of the apron 42. The upper ends of the knock-off levers have spoon-shaped guides which engage each strand S as it approaches the rearmost drafting rolls 15, 16. The spoon-shaped guides are normally urged into engagement with the strands S and when one of the strands becomes broken or is exhausted, the lower end of the corresponding knock-off lever will drop down and operate either a mechanical or electrical mechanism to stop the driving rotation of the drafting rolls 15, 16. The improved stop motion of the present invention is primarily intended to replace these conventional knock-off levers and their associated spoon-shaped guides, as well as the operating mechanism associated therewith. However, it is to be understood that the improved stop motion of the present invention may also be used in conjunction with the conventional knock-off levers.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, a plurality of strand supply cans 50 are spaced in rows rearwardly of the drawing frame and the strands S are withdrawn from the cans 50 and guided by a creel 51 toward the drawing frame. The creel 51 is suitably supported above the supply cans 50 and is provided with guide members 52 over which the strands S are withdrawn. A guide rod 53 is fixed at the lower end of a support bar 54 (FIG- URE 2) and the strands S are directed beneath the guide rod 53 (FIGURE 1) as they move toward the separator plates 43 and the drafting rolls of the two roll sections in a substantially horizontal plane.

The parts heretofore described are conventional parts of one type of drawing frame with which the present stop motion will be described, however, it is to be understood that the present stop motion may also be used with other types of drawing frames or with other similar types of textile machines in which strands of textile fibers are processed.

The present stop motion includes a pair of elongated detector elements 60 and 60' which extend transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands S as they are advanced from the supply source to the rearmost set of drafting rolls 15, 16 (FIGURES 13). The detector elements 60 and 66' are identical and are preferably of a suitable type of pliable or flexible material which is of a much smaller diameter than the diameter of the strands S. It has been found that excellent results are obtained when the detector elements 60, 60 are ten pound test monofilament nylon fishing line which has a diameter of approximately 15 thousandths of an inch. The strands S are on the order of a half inch in diameter and therefore are about 333 times as large as the detectors 60, 60'. As will be later discussed, it is important that the detectors 6t), 60 be of a much smaller diameter than the strands S.

Opposite ends of the detector elements 60, 60' are suitably secured, as by,a knot, to the upper ends of respective movable detector supporting members 61, 62 and 63, 64, which may also be termed switch actuating arms. The movable support members 61, 62 and 63, 64 are identical and, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, they extend downwardly and have horizontal portions which are pivotally supported at their forward ends on the housings of respective electric switches 65, 66 and 67, 68. The electric switch housings are suitably supported for lateral and longitudinal adjustment on the lower surface of the apron 42 by any suitable means.

The movable support members 61, 62 and 63, 64 are pivotally supported on the electric switch housings in an identical manner, as shown at 69 in FIGURE 5 wherein an inward pulling force applied to the detector element 60 will cause the movable support member 61 to be moved to operate the switch in the housing 65, in a manner to be presently described. Although the movable support members 61, 62 and 63, 64 have a right-angular bend and vertical and horizontal portions, they could be straight and the corresponding switch housings could be supported in a vertical position or they could be supported at an angle of approximately 45 degrees between the horizontal and. vertical.

The switches 6568 may be of any suitable commercially available type which is sealed to prevent the entrance of lint, dust and the like. The particular electric switch shown in cross-section in FIGURE 5 includes an operating plunger 70, one end of which is engaged by the movable detector supporting member or switch actuating arm 61 and the other end of the plunger 78 engages a leaf spring contact member 71. The leaf spring contact member 71 is normally biased toward a contact plate 72 and may be moved into engagement with another contact plate 73. An adjustment screw 75 is threadably supported in the lower end of the switch actuating arm 61 so that the positionand sensitivity of arm 61 may be adjusted.

The manner in which the electric switches 65-68 are connected to the driving mechanism of the drawing frame is schematically illustrated in the wiring diagram shown in FIGURE 4. The drawing frame drive motor 41 is connected to a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown, by main lead wires 76, 77 and 78 which have a manually operable switch 80 interposed therein. A pair of wires 81 and 82 extend from the main wires 76 and 77 and to the primary coil of a transformer 83. One end of a wire 85 is connected to one secondary coil of the transformer 83 and its opposite end is connected to one side of the electromagnetic clutch 40. The other side of the electromagnetic clutch 40 has one end of a wire 86 connected thereto, the opposite end of which is connected to one side of a relay switch 87 which is operated by means of a relay 88. One end of a wire 89 is connected to the switch 87 and its other end is connected to the secondary coil of the transformer 83.

The relay switch 87 is normally maintained in the position shown in FIGURE 4 so that the electrical circuit is completed to the electromagnetic clutch 48 through the wires 85, 86 and 89, and driving motion from the motor 41 is transmitted to the drafting rolls 15, 16 through means of the pulleys 34, 36, belt 35 and the gears in the gear housing 32. When the electric ircuit to the electromagnetic clutch 40 is broken, in a manner to be presently described, rotation to the drafting rolls 15, 16 will be stopped.

A wire 96 is connected between the relay 88 and the other secondary coil of the transformer 83 and a wire 91 is connected at one end to the relay 88 and its other end is connected inter-mediate the ends of a wire 92. Opposite ends of the wire 92 are connected to one side of the respective switches 65, 66 and medial portions of the wire 92 are connected to one side of the switches 67 and 68 by respective connector wires 93and 94. A wire 95 is connected at one end to the wire 91 and its opposite end is connected to the relay switch 87. One end of a wire 96 is connected to the secondary coil of the transformer 83 and its opposite end is connected intermediate the ends of a wire 97. Opposite ends of the wire 97 are suitably connected to one contact of the respective switches 65, 66 and the switches 67, 68 are connected to the Wire 97 by respective connector wires 98 and 99. A wire 100 is connected at one end to the relay switch 87 and at its other end to a medial portion of the wire 96. The Wire 100 has a manually operable, normally closed, switch 181 interposed therein.

When the main switch 80 is closed and the relay switch 87 is in the position shown in FIGURE 4, the electromagnetic clutch 40 will be energized so that the motor 41 imparts driving rotation to the drafting rolls 15, 16 to draw the strands S through the drawing frame with the strands S being guided along a path above the detector elements 60 and 66, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2. When one of the strands S falls down onto either of the detector elements 60 or 60, an inward pulling force will be exerted on the detector element to move the corresponding switch actuating arms and close one or both of the corresponding switches. As soon as any one of the switches 65-68 is closed, an electric circuit to the relay 88 is completed to operate the relay switch 87 and immediate- 1y break the circuit to the electromagnetic clutch 40, thereby stopping rotation of the drafting rolls 15, 16. When any one of the switches 65458 are closed, the circuit is completed through the wires and to maintain the relay 88 energized, even though the switches 65-68 may be again opened. In order to reset the detector circuit, the circuit to the relay 88 may be bro-ken by manually opening the switch 181.

Although it is preferred that two detector elements 66 and 69 be used, one forwardly of the strand separator plate 43 and the other positioned rearwardly thereof, it is to be understood that only one detector element may be used, if desired for economic reasons. In the present instance, when one of the strands S is exhausted, the end will fall down onto the detector element 60 and exert a force thereon which is sufficient to close one or both of the switches 65, 66 and immediately stop the drafting rolls 15, 16. At this point, it should be noted that it is necessary that only one end of the detector elements need be mounted on a movable support which operates a' switch and the other end could be mounted in a fixed position. Although the switches are sensitive enough that they can be actuated merely by the falling action of a strand S onto the detector elements, the forward movement of the strand will apply additional force to the detector element and insure immediate stopping of the drafting rolls 15, 16.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the detector element 60 will be engaged by the end of any exhausted strand and by any strand which is broken prior to the separator plate 4 3. If any strand breaks because of an accumulation of fibers at the separator plate 43, as shown in FIGURE 3, or if it breaks forwardly of the separator guide plate 43, the strand will engage the detector element 60" to close one or both of the switches 67, 68 and immediately stop the drafting rolls 1-5 and 16. The tandemly arranged detector elements 60, 60' operate in the two areas where strand breakage occurs most frequently. Thus, if strand breakage occurs behind the separator guide plate 4 3 as illustrated in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, stoppage of the drafting rolls would immediately occur through engagement of the broken strand with detector element 60. However, in the absence of this detector element 60, stoppage of the drafting rolls would not normally occur until the trailing end of the parted strands passed through the separator guide plate 4 3 whereupon the strand would engage detector element 60' to stop the drafting rolls. In this respect, it should be appreciated that the separator guide plate 43 supportingly guides any parted strand passing therethrough and would normally prevent the strand from dropping into engagement with the detector element 60 until the trailing end had passed therethrough. Thus, the provision of detector element 60 tandemly arranged with detector element 60' permits the drafting rolls to be stopped before the free end of the parted or exhausted strand has passed through the separator guide plate 43 which is highly desirable since the area behind the separator guide plate 43 is more accessible to an operator for piecing up a parted or exhausted strand.

The detector elements of the present stop motion means are normally positioned below and out of engagement with the strands S as they move into the drafting zone of the drawing frame and, unlike the prior types of drawing frame stop motions, it does not modify the strands in any way before they pass into the drafting zone. As has been stated, it is preferred that the diameter of the detector elements 60, 60' be much smaller than the diameter of the strand S so that when one of the strands drops onto the detector element, the detector element will be embedded in the textile fibers forming the strand and the forward movement of the strand will exert a positive and immediate pull on the detector element, thereby insuring positive actuation of the corresponding switches.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, al-

though specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a drawing frame having sets of fiber drafting rolls through which a plurality of side-by-side fibrous textile strands are adapted to be passed from a strand supply source, drive means for imparting movement to said drafting rolls, guide means disposed between said drafting rolls and the strand supp-1y source and engageable with the moving textile strands to guide the strands along a predetermined path into said drafting rolls, and actuator means operable to stop said drive means and rotation of said drafting rolls, the combination therewith of strand actuated stop motion means operatively connected to said actuator means and comprising (a) an elongated detector element comprising a pliable strand positioned in advance of said drafting rolls and extending in a substantially straight condition transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same move along said predetermined path toward said drafting rolls, opposite ends of said pliable strand being positioned closer together when a moving textile strand moves a certain distance below said predetermined path and engages the pliable strand and exerts a pulling force thereon, and wherein said pliable strand is a monofilament nylon line having a diameter of about 15 thousandths of an inch, and wherein the moving textile strands have a diameter on the order of onehalf inch,

(b) means supporting opposite ends of said detector element and including a movable support for at least one end of said detector element, said movable support being movable in response to a force being applied to said detector element by any of the strands, and

(c) switch means operatively connected to said movable detector element support and to said actuator means and being operable in response to movement of said movable detector element support to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

2. In a drawing frame having sets of fiber drafting tlOllS through which a plurality of side-iby-side fibrous textile strands are adapted to be passed from a strand supply source, drive means for imparting movement to said drafting rolls, guide means disposed between said drafting rolls and the strand supply source and engageable with the moving textile strands to guide the strands along a predetermined path into said drafting rolls, and actuator means operable to stop said drive means and rotation of said drafting rolls, the combination therewith of strand actuated stop motion means operatively connected to said actuator means and comprising (a) an elongated detector element positioned in advance of said drafting rolls and extending transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same move along said predetermined plath toward said drafting rolls, any one of the strands being engageable with said detector element when moving a certain distance below said predetermined path to exert a force on said detector element,

(b) means supporting opposite ends of said detector element and including a movable support for each end of said detector element, said movable detector element supports being movable in response to a force being applied to said detector element by any of the strands, and wherein said movable detector element supports comprise a pair of elongated switch actuating arms, opposite ends of said detector element being connected to one end of each of said switch actuating arms, the other ends of said switch actuating arms being pivotally supported for movement of said one ends of said arms toward and away from each other, and said one ends of said arms being normally biased away from each other and being movable toward each other in response to a force being exerted on said detector element by one of the textile strands, and

(c) switch means operatively connected to said movable detector element supports and to said actuator means and being operable in response to movement of said movable detector element supports to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

3. A drawing frame stop motion according to claim 2, wherein said switch means ('c) comprises a switch positioned adjacent each of said switch actuating arms and at least one of said switches being operable in response to movement of said switch actuating arms toward each other to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

4. In a drawing frame having sets of fiber drafting rolls through which a plurality of side by-side fibrous textile strands are adapted to be passed from a strand supply sources, drive means for imparting movement to said drafting rolls, guide means disposed between said drafting rolls and the strand supply source and engageable with the moving textile strands to guide the strands along a predetermined path into said drafting rolls, and an electromagnetic clutch interposed in said drive means, said electromagnetic clutch being operable to stop rotation of said drafting rolls, the combination therewith of strand actuated stop motion (HICELHS operatively connected to said electromagnetic clutch and comprising (a) an elongated pliable detector positioned in advance of said drafting rolls, said pliable detector extending transversely and in substantially straight condition beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same move along said predetermined path toward said drafting rolls, said pliable detector being engageable by broken and exhausted textile strands that move along below said predetermined path to exert a force pulling inwardly at opposite ends of said pliable detector,

(b) IE1. pair of elongated switch actuating arms having free ends, opposite ends of said pliable detector being connected to the free ends of said switch actuating arms, the other ends of said switch actuating arms being pivotally supported for movement of the free ends toward and away from each other, and the free ends of said arms being normally biased away from each .other and being movable toward each other in response to a force being exerted on said pliable detector by one of the textile strands, and

(c) a switch positioned adjacent each of said switch actuating arms and being operable in response to inward movement of said arms, said switches being operatively connected to said electromagnetic clutch and being operable to stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

5. In a drawing frame having sets of fiber drafting rolls through which a plurality of side-by-side fibrous textile strands are adapted to be passed from a strand supply source, drive means for imparting movement to said drafting rolls, an apron extending rearwardly from and spaced below the level of said drafting rolls, said apron having a downwardly extending rear portion, guide means disposed bet-ween said drafting rolls and the strand supply source and engageable with the moving textile strands to guide the strands along a substantially horizontal path spaced above said apron and into said drafting rolls, said guide means including a separator guide having a series of upstanding strand receiving guide slots through which the strands are guided, the lower portion of said separator guide being fixed on the downwardly extending rear portion of said apron, and actuator means operable to stop said drive means and rotation of said drafting rolls, the combination therewith of strand actuated stop motion means operatively connected to said actuator means and comprising (a) an elongated detector element positioned in spaced relationship re'a-nwardly of said separator guide and extending transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same move along said horizontal path toward said drafting rolls, any one of the strands being engageable with said detector element when moving a certain distance below said horizontal path to exert a force on said detector element,

(b) means supporting opposite ends of said detector element and including a movable support for at least one end of said detector element, said movable support extending through the downwardly extending rear portion and beneath said apron and being movable in response to a force being applied to said detector by any of the strands, and

(c) enclosed switch means protected from lint and the like and being supported beneath said apron, said switch means being operatively connected to said movable detector element support and to said actuator means and being operable in response to movement of said movable detector element support to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

6. In a drawing frame having sets of fiber drafting rolls through which a plurality of side-by-side fibrous textile strands are adapted to be passed from a strand supply source, drive means for imparting movement to said drafting rolls, guide means disposed between said drafting rolls and the strand supply source and en-gageable with the moving textile strands to guide the strands along a predetermined path into said drafting rolls, said guide means including a slotted strand separator guide positioned in advance of the rearmost drafting rolls and through which the textile strands pass, and actuator means operable to stop said drive means and rotation of said drafting rolls, the combination therewith of strand actuated stop motion means operatively connected to said actuator means and comprising (a) a first elongated detector element positioned in advance of said strand separator guide,

(b) a second elongated detector element positioned between said strand separator guide and said drafting rolls, both of said elongated detector elements extending transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same 'move along said predetermined path toward said drafting roll-s, at least one of said detector elements being engageable by broken and exhausted textile strands that move along below said predetermined path to exert a force on the engaged detector element,

(-) means supporting both ends of said detector elements and including a movable support for at least one end of each of said detector elements, said movable supports being movable toward the opposite correspondingly supported end of the detector element in response to a force being applied to the corresponding detector element by any of the strands, and

(d) means operatively connected to each of said movable supports and to said actuator means and being operable in response to movement of either said movable supports toward the opposite correspondingly supported end of the detector element to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

7. A drawing frame stop motion according to claim 6, wherein said first and second detector elements (a) and (b) each comprise a pliable strand, and wherein a movable support is connected to each end of each of said first and second pliable strand detector elements, said movable supports being nonmally positioned to maintain the corresponding pliable strand detector elements in a first position, said movable supports being movable toward each other to a second position in response to an inwardly pulling force being applied to said detector elements by engagement of a textile strand therewith to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

8. A drawing frame stop motion according to claim '7, wherein said means (d) comprises electrical switch means operatively connected to said actuator means and operable to stop said drive means and rotation of said drafting rolls in response to engagement of either of said detector elements by one of said textile strands.

9. Ina drawing frame having sets of fiber drafting rolls through which a plurality of side by-side fibrous textile strands are adapted to be passed from a strand supply source, drive means for imparting movement to said drafting rolls, an apron extending rearwardly from and spaced below the level of said drafting rolls, said apron having a downwardly extending rear portion, guide means disposed between said drafting rolls and the strand supply source and engageable with the movable textile strands to guide the strands along a substantially horizontal path spaced above said apron and into said drafting rolls, said guide means including a separator guide having a series of upstanding strand receiving guide slots through which the strands are guided, the lower portion of said separator guide being fixed on the downwardly extending rear portion of said apron, and actuator means operable to stop said drive means and rotation of said drafting rolls, the combination therewith of strand actuated stop motion means operatively connected to said actuator means and comprising (a) a first elongated detector element positioned in spaced relationship rearwardly of said separator guide and extending transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same move along said horizontal path toward said drafting rolls, said first detector element being engageable by the tailing ends of exhausted textile strands and by any textile strands in which a break occurs in advance of said separator guide to exert a force on said first detector element,

(b) a second elongated detector element positioned between said separator guide and said rearmost drafting rolls and in spaced relationship above said apron, said second elongated detector element extending transversely beneath and normally out of engagement with the moving strands as the same move along said horizontal path toward said drafting rolls, said second detector element being engageable by any textile strands in which a break occurs after passage through said separator guide to exert a force on said second detector element,

(c) means supporting both ends of said first and second detector elements and including a movable support for at least one end of each of said detector elements, said movable supports being movable toward the opposite correspond-ingly supported end of the detector element in response to a force being applied to the corresponding detector element by any of the strands, and

(d) means operatively connected to each of said movable supports and to said actuator means and being operable in response to movement of either of said movable supports toward the opposite correspondingly supported end of the detector element to operate said actuator means and stop rotation of said drafting rolls.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS vBald-win 57-80 Exley 22611 Lee 19-287 Whitehurst 19--.23 Adams et a1. 19.25

12 FOREIGN PATENTS 327,850 4/ 1930 Great Britain.

M ERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DRAWING FRAME HAVING SETS OF FIBER DRAFTING ROLLS THROUGH WHICH A PLURALITY OF SIDE-BY-SIDE FIBROUS TEXTILE STRANDS ARE ADAPTED TO BE PASSED FROM A STRAND SUPPLY SOURCE, DRIVE MEANS FOR IMPARTING MOVEMENT TO SAID DRAFTING ROLLS, GUIDE MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID DRAFTING ROLLS AND THE STRAND SUPPLY SOURCE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE MOVING TEXTILE STRANDS TO GUIDE THE STRANDS ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH INTO SAID DRAFTING ROLLS, AND ACTUATOR MEANS OPERABLE TO STOP SAID DRIVE MEANS AND ROTATION OF SAID DRAFTING ROLLS, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OFF STRAND ACTUATED STOP MOTION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ACUTATOR MEANS AND COMPRISING (A) AN ELONGATED DETECTOR ELEMENT COMPRISING A PLIABLE STRAND POSITIONED IN ADVANCE OF SAID DRAFTING ROLLS AND EXTENDING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT CONDITION TRANSVERSELY BENEATH AND NORMALLY OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MOVING STRANDS AS THE SAME MOVE ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED PATH TOWARD SAID DRAFTING ROLLS, OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PLIABLE STRAND BEING POSITIONED CLOSER TOGETHER WHEN A MOVING TEXTILE STRAND MOVES A CERTAIN DISTANCE BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED PATH AND ENGAGES THE PLIABLE STRAND AND EXERTS A PULLING FORCE THEREON, AND WHEREIN SAID PLIABLE STRAND IS A MONOFILAMENT NYLON LINE HAVING A DIAMETER OF ABOUT 15 THOUSANDTH OF AN INCH, AND WHEREIN THE MOVING TEXTILE STRANDS HAVE A DIAMETER ON THE ORDER OF ONEHALF INCH, (B) MEANS SUPPORTING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID DETECTOR ELEMENT AND INCLUDING A MOVABLE SUPPORT FOR AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID DETECTOR ELEMENT, SAID MOVABLE SUPPORT BEING MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO A FORCE BEING APPLIED TO SAID DETECTOR ELEMENT BY ANY OF THE STRANDS, AND (C) SWITCH MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE DETECTOR ELEMENT SUPPORT AND TO SAID ACTUATOR MEANS AND BEING OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVABLE DETECTOR ELEMENT SUPPORT TO OPERATE SAID ACTUATOR MEANS AND STOP ROTATION OF SAID DRAFTING ROLLS. 